Set
by ArtificialImagination
Summary: Old enemies, new friends, past lives, epic battles, a wedding, and the end of the world. And that's only the beginning. Sequel to Isis.
1. Prologue

**A/N:** Wow, this is scary.

Hi everyone! I'm back with the sequel I promised, oh, a year and a half, two years ago? It took much, much longer than expected, but I'm glad because the version I was originally writing was a bit terrible. I deleted the four chapters I had written for it, and wrote ten chapters of this, and now I'm ready to upload. I've written ten chapters in advance in the hopes that we won't have another Isis fiasco and I'll actually get this fully uploaded within the next year, especially since it's a shorter story than the previous one.

If you're confused, then the chances are pretty good you didn't read Isis, which makes sense since it's been a few years since it had a proper update (or you're confused because I'm confusing. That's possible, too). I strongly recommend reading that one first, or you'll just be all the more confused. Fair warning that Isis is a bit strange, for a Mummy fanfiction. It was one of my first fanfics ever, and though I rewrote it a couple times it's still a bit off-the-wall, but I still think it's a lot of fun with some very emotional parts, and it's worth a read if you don't mind a bit of Mary-Sue-ness with a side of unrealistic situations. But then, fanfiction is fun because you get to explore things that might be a bit unrealistic in the canon universe.

Hey, I'm off track already. Let's get back on track.

There are a few plot holes in this sequel, I'm just going to come out and say that. They're there because 1. Isis wasn't the best base to work with, as it created quite a few plot holes all on it's own, 2. My own inability as a writer (though it's my ultimate goal, I am by no means a professional novelist and therefore my writing will be imperfect) and 3. …I'm not giving you this reason just yet. There will be a third story to finish off this trilogy (as well as a companion piece, if I ever get around to it), and a few plot holes will be explained there.

This fanfiction is no masterpiece. It's here just for fun. But it _does _have more of a solid plot than the previous story. In Isis there was a lot of running around and getting sidetracked. And though I kept some of the light hearted fun of the previous story, this story has an actual structure, and the side tracking is at a minimum. Our heroes are done running away from danger.

So, for the **important stuff: **The Mummy animated series was a bit of an inspiration for part of this, mostly just in this chapter (er, okay – mostly just the name of a thing). Also mentioned in this chapter are the Anubis Warriors, _however _I did change their name just because it _bothered the hell _out of me that the movie called Anubis the dark Egyptian god, when more realistically it was Set, Osiris's brother. So I just replaced the name and fixed a pet peeve that's been bothering me since I saw The Mummy Returns in theaters.

If you haven't read Isis and stubbornly refuse to go back and read it, keep in mind that this story is AU, as it takes place in modern times. Originally a mistake by thirteen-year-old me, so it doesn't change a whole lot of the original movies as backstory.

Other quick mentions: I am still looking for a beta for this story, so if you're interested please let me know. I'm going to try to upload chapters once a week to once every other week, depending on how much time I have to write new chapters. Plus with NaNoWriMo coming up and a big roadtrip in November, I won't have a ton of time at a computer that isn't spent on a novel, so at least for the next month expect one chapter every two weeks. Still better than the months and months it took me before, right?

Wow, I've written a lot here, so one last thing: If you're interested in seeing bonus material for this fanfic, such as fashions or recipes or playlists, please check out the link to my fanfiction writing blog in my profile. Thanks!

**Disclaimer: **The Mummy was produced by Universal Studios. I am merely a fan playing in their world: I own nothing but my own concepts, and I am making no money from this.

Wow, it's finally time. Okay. Enjoy, everyone!

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><p>Set<p>

**Prologue**

**THREE YEARS LATER**

The sun appeared in a fiery burst of orange and gold as it rose over a seemingly endless desert. The blue sky was covered by a film of white clouds, adding smoke to the appearance that the sky was aflame. The bright beams of the sun had first touched the mountains far to the east, and then the vast expanse of sand and cacti, and then the ruins of an ancient city, and slowly it reached a high cliff.

Atop this cliff sat a spiral of black tents, and in the center of this spiral a fire was just starting to be made. Women of the Medjai tribe were preparing for the day, starting the breakfast cooking and feeding the horses and carrying laundry to their water source, as well as washing the two cars the tribe owned. The children started on their chores, the boys cleaning the weapons and the girls weaving blankets to be used or baskets to be traded with other desert tribes. A few men in long black robes with the hoods drawn over their faces to keep them safe from the heat of the sun stood by a table set near the fire, pointing at maps and talking animatedly. Each person had their own duty to fulfill, or the rest of the tribe would suffer for it.

The majority of the men were gathered in the largest tent, set closest to the fire pit. Inside this tent sat Ardeth Bey, the leader of all Medjai, surrounded by his most trusted advisors, maps of ancient cities…and various bridal magazines.

"The truth is," said a wizened man, gone grey around the temples. "You failed us three years ago, Ardeth. You failed us, and now we pay the price."

Ardeth opened his mouth to speak, but Kyan, his oldest friend, spoke for him. "Have we all forgotten what Ardeth did for us thirteen years ago? He led the charge against Set's army, and ultimately prepared the way for the Scorpion King to be defeated! And you question his judgment now?"

"We all know what Ardeth Bey did for us then," said a man a few years Ardeth's senior, who sat across the circle from Kyan. "We do not question that. He became the leader of all Medjai after that, and rightfully so. But perhaps it is time for a new leader. He has grown distracted-"

"Distracted!" Kyan exclaimed.

"And he let our one true enemy slip through his fingers."

"After defeating him twice! What did you ever do to stop the Creature?"

Ardeth put his hand on Kyan's shoulder in warning. "Calm, my friend. Do not question the worth of your elders."

Kyan's jaw locked, but he nodded. Ardeth turned to address his advisors.

"I know that it was my duty to defeat the Creature when he awoke again three years ago," he spoke as calmly as he could when his leadership was threatened. "At the time, however, my greatest concern was protecting the innocent, particularly the young girl who seemed to be his target."

"That has never been our way!" shouted the old man, one hand curling into a fist. He slammed it down on his knee as he spoke sharply, "It is not for us to protect the innocent, but to protect the world by whatever means necessary. You focused your efforts on protecting that girl, and the Creature slipped away! Three years, Ardeth, and still we cannot locate him! You had him in your sights and let him escape!"

Ardeth closed his eyes and breathed in deeply, not wishing to lose his temper before the most important men in his tribe. He understood their frustrations, as he felt them, as well. Years of searching, searching the City of the Dead and other ancient ruins, of looking into every natural disaster, of keeping in constant contact with other tribes for any whisper of the Creature, and nothing. Imhotep had disappeared, almost as though into thin air. Ardeth held onto the hope that what the Creature had told Paige Woods was true, and he had found some way to return to the Underworld. But his tribe was not satisfied with this, and to be honest, he wasn't either. He found it very difficult to believe that Imhotep would ever tell the truth, or give up his immortal existence so easily. He had done it once before, it was true…but those were under different circumstances. He was near death already, mortal and without Anck-Su-Namun. Now…

Alice always told him he wasn't trusting enough.

"Afzal," Ardeth finally began to reply, after fighting his anger back below the surface. "I do admit that I made a mistake in letting the Creature escape. However, perhaps it is time that we changed our tactics. Being willing to let the innocent die makes us no less evil than the Creature – for we have not been cursed."

The tent was deathly silent for a moment as these old men of the tribe tried to comprehend what Ardeth was suggesting – changing their ancient, time-honored ways, and to a tactic that had let the Creature escape. This idea was a dangerous one. Change could not be allowed in their position; they had a duty to fulfill. Only Kyan nodded in agreement.

"Ardeth Bey," Afzal replied, his voice now soft. "Your thinking is radical and flawed. Allowing mercy and focusing on protecting the innocent rather than punishing the guilty is what caused this problem. The Creature is gone, and you suggest that we change our ways to the flaw that allowed him to escape?"

"I am merely saying that a change-"

"You bring all sorts of change, don't you?" Afzal stood, and towered over the rest. Even as Ardeth stood, Afzal was still taller than any of them. His arms, legs, torso may be thinner, but age would not take away his height. "You want to allow mercy for those who bring the Creature back to this earth. You choose to marry a woman not a Medjai and half your age. What has become of you, Ardeth? You were once a great leader, with such focus. Has the woman changed this? Perhaps you ought to reconsider attending your wedding."

Ardeth's mouth set in a grim line. "The woman's name is Alice, and she is wise beyond her years, has courage in the face of dangers she never imagined, and is as reliable and strong as the Nile. I will not hear you speak ill of her, Afzal."

"Love can bring great comfort, Ardeth, but it can also bring blindness and weakness," Afzal replied, his dark eyes aflame. "If you feel that you cannot-"

The door of the tent was flung aside, and a young man collapsed on the ground before the tribe counsel. He lay there, gasping for air for a moment, before looking to Ardeth with fear in his eyes.

"Hadi?" Ardeth quickly moved to the scout, helping the small man to his feet. "What has happened?"

"Found…Parsons…the scroll…" Hadi couldn't catch his breath. Ardeth glimpsed outside and saw Hadi's horse wandering aimlessly before a woman grabbed hold of its reins. Hadi must have just arrived, and wasted no time coming into the tent. Whatever his message was, it could not be good news.

"Breathe," Ardeth said, leading Hadi to the back of the tent. The rest of the advisors stood and watched after them, but Ardeth lifted a hand to keep them back so the scout could have enough air. After a moment or two and a few gulps of water from Ardeth's canteen, Hadi finally seemed capable of speech.

"We found James Parsons," he said, wiping the sweat off his dark brow. "The man Imhotep used as a servant three years ago. We found him."

"Where is he?" Kyan asked, but stepped back when Ardeth gave him a sharp look.

Hadi shook his head, as though he could not believe the words he had to speak. "We researched him. He is used to gaining power…he has done it all his life, rising to the top of student governments, local governments and businesses. When he disappeared from England, he was the CEO of a major company as well as the head of his community. We used the information we gathered to track him to Cairo, but could not find him. We discovered, however, that the Scroll of Thebes had been stolen from the museum."

"The Scroll of Thebes is in the hands of a servant of the Creature's?" whispered Afzal in horror, but Ardeth silenced him with a wave of his hand.

Ardeth took Hadi by the shoulders. "James Parsons is in possession of the Scroll of Thebes? Are you certain?"

Hadi swallowed, and nodded hard. "He was in the city at the time, and gone when it was discovered missing."

"That scroll has powers…" Ardeth whispered, his eyes roving over Hadi's face, hoping to find some trace of jest. "He could use it to resurrect any single soul he wished."

Hadi nodded again, and Ardeth remembered to release the boy. Hadi continued, turning to pace in the tent, his hands behind his back, shaking. "First we discovered that on this trip to Cairo, he hired travel experts and transportation and supplies for a long journey through the desert. Then we found that for the last three years he has been hiring teams of diggers, paying them to dig with great haste with gold and ancient artifacts he must have stolen from the City of the Dead."

"…In which direction has he been going with these diggers, Hadi?"

The small scout was unusually pale as he stopped and looked Ardeth in the eye. "Ahm-Shere. Knowing that he has a thirst for power, no qualms with working with evil, immortal beings and has the Scroll of Thebes in his possession – which makes our keeping the bracelet and the great Books hidden useless – I believe…"

Slowly, Ardeth breathed in the hot, humid air deep into his lungs, not wanting to hear Hadi's next words, not wanting to say what he must say. "What do you believe, Hadi?"

Hadi closed his eyes. "I believe he has gone to Ahm-Shere to resurrect the Scorpion King and take control of the Army of Set."

Quiet, and then every advisor spoke at once. Each voice fought to be heard over another, causing the commotion to grow louder and louder as Ardeth and Hadi stared at one another, both defeat and determination filling their eyes.

"Silence!" Ardeth finally cried out. He turned to his advisors, who looked simultaneously fearful and courageous. Unquestioningly, they waited for their leader's orders. "If indeed James Parsons has the ability to raise the Scorpion King once again, we must stop him on his way to Ahm-Shere, or all is lost."

"He was sent to the Underworld, though, wasn't he?" Kyan asked hesitantly, trying desperately to cling to hope. "It can't be possible for him to be raised."

Ardeth shook his head. "The Creature, too, was dragged to the Underworld. And he has also returned."

He waited for Afzal to speak up again, to blame him for letting Imhotep escape, for not finding James Parsons before it was too late. But the elderly man stood still in the back, awaiting orders the same as the advisors who still felt loyalty to Ardeth Bey. If anything, Afzal was an honorable man.

Ardeth cleared his throat, quickly trying to form some plan. "It has been many years since we rode from Ahm-Shere. Does any man recall how to get back?"

There were faint whispers, but they were all stating the negative. Some had never been to Ahm-Shere, some were too old to recall the path they had traveled there. It had been a long and complicated march. Ardeth hadn't joined the march, and all he could recall was stopping at Giza, the Great Temple at Abu Simbel and Karnak, but he could not even put those in order.

He held a hand up to once again halt the chatter. "Very well. The O'Connells await me in Cairo. They were all on the same path that I was, perhaps they will recall the way. Rick O'Connell defeated the Scorpion King last time, and I will want him on this journey again," Ardeth spoke loudly to his advisors. If any objected to the inclusion of the O'Connells in the Medjai mission once again, they did not say anything. "Prepare for a long march. Purchase more horses, send messages to our other tribes and build more weapons. If the army does arise, we will need every sword we can get."

Each advisor nodded and left the tent, knowing beforehand what their duty was in times of war. Kyan approached Ardeth before leaving, shaking his hand.

"I am sorry that your wedding will have to be postponed," he said softly, a sincerely sad look in his eyes.

Ardeth sighed and nodded. "As am I…though Alice will be the most disappointed of all."

Kyan gave Ardeth's hand a reassuring squeeze, and knowing that there was nothing more he could say to comfort his friend, turned and left.

Ardeth looked to Hadi, who had collapsed on the ground and held his head in his hands. Ardeth moved forward and bent down to Hadi's level.

"You have done well," he said to the scout, who looked to Ardeth with a weak smile in appreciation. "Not many could have put together James Parsons' plans the way you did."

Hadi shrugged. "I did what I had to do."

Ardeth patted the scout on the shoulder, and helped the man to his feet.

"I need your help once more, Hadi," he said to the smaller man. "I need you to prepare the truck for me. I have a lot of ground to cover, and very little time to waste."

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><p><strong>Artificial<strong>: Since my opening author's note was obnoxiously long, I'll just leave that there. I hope you all have fun going on this adventure with me!


	2. Below The Valley Of The Kings

**A/N:** Hello again! Sorry this is a few days late. I've been preparing for Halloween, and a roadtrip.

Something very important I forgot to mention last chapter: Consider this fanfiction an AU from our world, as well as from the original film. There have been a lot of things going on in Egypt since this fanfiction was plotted out, and I will not be addressing them in this story for several reasons, such as my inability to fully understand the complexity of these issues, and most importantly, I'd find it disrespectful and in bad taste.

Another important thing I forgot to mention (crazy, considering how much I rambled on), is the discussion of religion in this trilogy. The last one didn't touch on it, but this story and the next will. It's not a huge, in-your-face deal; I just wanted to explore the struggle I think people would have had to deal with when learning about the existence of Egyptian gods. In order to explore those feelings, one of the characters in this story is religious, nondenominational Christian to be exact.

Also, I have no idea how people are lowered in a harness, and Google didn't give me much info to go on. I also don't know how an excavation goes exactly, so I sort of made it up and bit and took artistic license with some things. And I did some research into the Valley of the Kings, but it was a while ago, and may not be entirely accurate. Sorry! I did my best.

Enjoy! And keep in mind this may be the last chapter until mid-November, as I'll be on the road a good part of the month. I'll try to get another chapter posted before I leave, though.

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><p>Set<p>

**Chapter One**

**Below The Valley of the Kings**

The sunlight was hot and yellow as it reached the top of the clear, vibrant blue sky. It sparkled on yellow sand, and reached as deep into the great hole in the sand as it could. Deep in this hole was a crew of Egyptian diggers and archeologists, above the hole sat a few tired workers taking a break, along with an English scholar, an American adventurer, and three young adults who stood near the hole, texting.

The Valley of the Kings was always a popular tourist spot, but this group was not here for a tour of the tombs. Evelyn and Rick O'Connell had been called by the head archeologist shortly after another tomb had been discovered. The archeologist had by accident discovered a tunnel leading from WV25 (an unfinished tomb) to KV35 (a tomb containing many mummies, some of which were royalty). Deep below this tunnel a door had been discovered, revealing yet another tomb. They were ready to open the sarcophagus found inside, and the archeologist – an old friend of Evy's – wanted to know if the famous explorers wanted to be present for it. After much pleading on the part of his wife, Rick finally agreed. They were supposed to be in Egypt that weekend anyway, as Alice and Ardeth were going to be married in Cairo in two days, and a trip to the Valley of the Kings didn't seem too dangerous.

Alice remained at the hotel in Cairo, working on last-minute preparations and attempting to keep her mother Diana and father Robert from fighting constantly. Jonathan had decided to search the bars of Cairo for a date to the wedding, and Ardeth had gone on to the Med-Jai camp to drive the few Med-Jai who wanted to be at his wedding to the city, and to take care of business at the camp so things could run smoothly while he was on his honeymoon.

Evy stood above the great hole that led to the tomb, peering in to the darkness below, waiting for the archeologist to come and tell them it was time to go down. As she looked, she continued her long-winded rant. "And it's the tomb of a woman, so we can only assume she was once Pharaoh, because the Valley of the Queens is nearby and they didn't choose to bury her there. Although I've heard some of the workers saying that this may be the oldest tomb in the valley, maybe even from the Old Kingdom, a thousand years before the New Kingdom, when the rest of the tombs were made. If it's true, she would have been the first buried, and perhaps even the New Kingdom Egyptians didn't know about her and built the other tombs atop her without realizing it."

Evy had been going on about how fascinating the discovery of this tomb was for the last half an hour. Rick had taken to pretending to listen, nodding and saying 'yes, dear' every so often while he cleaned his tools. Their son Alex O'Connell, his girlfriend Paige Woods and their friend Fiona Bianca had chosen to not even pretend to listen anymore, and instead had conversations with each other via text messages. The majority of the conversation had to do with how Evy repeating the same information again and again in different ways, and whether or not Rick would eventually miss saying 'yes, dear' in the right place.

The young adults eventually took a seat under a tent, by a fan run by a generator, and took off their hats and took turns passing around a canteen of water.

Paige was the first to drink. She removed her rose-colored aviator sunglasses and drank deep, tilting her head back. The scarab necklace around her neck sparkled in the sun as she leaned forward to pass the drink to Fiona. She then replaced the brown Cowgirl hat, and sighed deeply. "It is really, really hot today."

Fiona nodded in agreement as she fanned herself with her wide-brimmed, floppy white hat. She drank from the canteen, taking smaller, daintier sips than her friend had. The top of the canteen hit the large frames of her sunglasses, but she ignored it, not willing to expose her sensitive blue eyes to the sun. "I think I may be in worse condition than you are, though, Paige," she said, motioning to the pale cardigan she wore over her pale blue tank top. After a final sip, she passed the canteen to Alex, her own necklace sparkling in the sun a little brighter than Paige's, being a silver and crystal cross.

Alex rolled his eyes behind his own aviator sunglasses. "Your own fault for wearing the sweater," he said before taking a deep gulp. "Just because they said to _bring_ long-sleeved shirts doesn't mean you have to wear them. Look at me – jeans, tshirt, tennis shoes…I'm fine." He capped the canteen as he spoke, then put his fedora back on his head. "Although the hat was a better idea. Yours keeps the sun out of your face a bit more."

Fiona shrugged. "The sweater is supposed to protect my skin from the sun. I'm really pale, I don't want to get skin cancer or something."

"Besides," said Paige, leaning back on her hands as she looked over to her boyfriend, "You're used to being in Egypt. Fiona is not."

"Fiona lived in Texas, that's still pretty hot."

Fiona laughed, shaking her brown hair behind her shoulders. "Until I was four, Alex! Otherwise the only time I've left England was to go to Paris for that drama competition."

"Yeah, those aren't exactly tropical locales, Alex," Paige said, playfully swatting his arm.

Alex stuck his tongue out at his girlfriend, and then looked the other way at Fiona, whose hair had fallen into her face again. "Just take the sweater off, Fi. We'll be going into the tomb soon, anyway."

Irritated, Fi stopped fanning herself, pushed her hair back and firmly placed the hat on her head. "Actually, I think I'm going to stay up here with Paige."

Alex groaned in disappointment. "Seriously? You're missing out on it, too? Why?"

Fi glanced at Paige for a second, and then back at Alex. "She might want the company. And I'm not as interested in Egypt as you are, Alex."

Alex snorted. "That's the worst excuse I've ever heard. This is a major historical event and you're present for it, and you're not even going to see it with your own two eyes because you aren't as weirdly obsessed with ancient Egypt as I am?"

"And Paige might get lonely."

Sighing, Alex said, "Paige's excuse is stupid, too."

Paige scoffed, and put her hands on her hips despite sitting in a position where she would lose her balance doing so. She fell backwards and, as Alex tried to turn his laugh into a cough, sat back up and put her hands on her hips again. "My excuse is perfectly legitimate, Alex O'Connell."

"No, it's not."

"The last time I was in a tomb things went horribly wrong. I'm not taking that chance again," she explained, her brown eyes wide as she stared down her boyfriend. "Besides, it's dark."

Alex adjusted his hat lower on his forehead as he pressed his lips together, recalling the misfortunate visit to Hamunaptra three years ago. "Well, it's unlikely you have another past life that's coming back to haunt you here."

"I'd rather be safe than sorry."

"You're ridiculous," he said, but his voice held a note of affection.

The three of them hadn't changed much the last three years. Physically, Alex had gained some muscle and height, Paige had cut her hair and gotten bangs and Fiona's hair seemed permanently in her face, but otherwise they looked the same. They all attended the same university, though Alex was a history major, Paige a drama major and Fiona a dance major, having discovered a love for modern dance. Alex still lived with his parents (he claimed it was because he didn't want to leave them alone, his parents said it was because he didn't want to have to clean his own house), and Paige lived with them. Fi had moved into a flat with her twin brother, Sebastian.

The rest of the changes were inward. Paige had become more sympathetic and willing to accept help, Alex found that he had more courage and faith in life than he'd thought, and after discovering a love of dance Fi found herself to be a hard worker, though one that often took time to help others due to her generous spirit.

This generous spirit was what caused her to decide to stay on the surface and keep Paige company while the rest went into the tomb. Well, and she felt uncomfortable underground.

"Okay, Alex! They're ready!" shouted Rick, setting his overly-shiny tools aside and getting to his feet.

Alex looked at Paige. "Are you sure you don't want to come down and see it?"

"Never, never again will I enter a tomb," Paige insisted. "Just in case."

Sighing, Alex looked over to Fiona. "And you?"

Fiona's hair fell into her face again, despite her attempts to keep it back with the hat. She gave up and let the strand fall over her eyelashes and cheek. "I'm sure, thank you."

"You know Paige doesn't have monophobia like you do, she can be left alone-"

"I know. It's okay, I'd like to keep Paige company."

"It seems like a shame."

Paige stretched her legs out in front of her, one leg going on either side of Fiona. "It'll probably end up in a museum anyway, Alex. We'll see it then."

"But this is the first time it'll be opened in maybe five thousand years-"

"Alex! Fi! If you're coming down, we need to go," called Evy, standing on the top of the ladder down to the tomb.

"Go ahead, Alex," said Fiona, pulling her floral print backpack closer to her by the handle. "We can do some reading while you're down there."

"Or play Kalah," said Paige, also reaching for her bag. "We've got lots to entertain ourselves with. Go ahead, Alex."

"I don't want you to regret not going," said Alex, frowning.

Paige rolled her eyes as she pulled on the strings to open her bag. "Seriously, Alex. I do not want to go down there, it's just…too dark, and I'll have all kinds of awful flashbacks. I've had fun coming here, and I'm not going to feel like I'm missing anything. I promise."

Alex nodded, and then turned back to the brunette. "Fi?" he asked hopefully.

Fiona shook her head. "It's okay, Alex, really. You go on, we'll meet you when you're done."

With a final sigh, Alex grabbed his backpack, swung it over his shoulder and crawled out of the tent. After getting to his feet, he bent over and peeked into the tent. "Alright, guys. I'll see you later."

"Have fun!" the girls replied, as they searched through their backpacks for something to keep themselves entertained.

Paige watched as Evy and Rick began down the ladder, and then smiled and waved at Alex as he blew her a kiss before heading down himself. After a moment, she winced and wiggled, trying to lessen her back pain. They had been sitting outside waiting for most of the day, with no chairs in sight, except for ones meant for the workers.

Paige dug through her bag, tossed aside a bag of jelly babies with a sound of disgust, and then looked back up at her friend, who already had her nose in a book of modern dance, likely trying to prepare for the next semester.

"Do you want to play a game of Kalah?" Paige asked, hoping to not have to pull out her own textbook.

Fi glanced up, and with a small smile said, "Sure."

"Fantastic," said Paige, eagerly pulling out the game from her bag. She'd have preferred Poker, but Fiona wasn't a fan of card games. Besides…she was starting to get good at the capture game.

"How long do you think they'll take?" asked Fi, helping set the game up.

Paige shrugged. "I don't know. Hopefully not long. I really, really need a freaking chair."

* * *

><p>It was two hours and sixteen games later when Paige caught the sound of rustling by the hole. Paige pulled her hair off her neck, trying to cool off as she looked over to see what was causing the noise. Alex was crawling out of the hole, and the solemn look on his face made her stomach clench in fear.<p>

Something was wrong. But what?

Fiona finally noticed the direction of Paige's glance, and turned to look in time to see Alex get to his feet and put his hands deep in his pockets as he walked through the sand towards the tent. His dark eyes were intense, almost angry but more…something Fi couldn't put a finger on. Confused, maybe. Or scared.

"Guys," Alex said as he reached the tent, and bent down from the knees to look them in the eyes. "You need to go down there."

Fiona could only stare in surprise, but Paige's brow wrinkled in confusion as she asked, "What for?"

Alex shook his head as he took Paige's hands and began gently pulling her out of the tent and to her feet. "You have to see it."

"What is it?" asked Fiona, as she followed the couple out of the tent.

Alex looked from Fiona to Paige, biting his bottom lip softly as he hesitated telling them. Paige could practically see the debate going on his head, and she knew Alex's flair for the dramatic – not unlike her own – would win out and he would make them see with their own eyes rather than tell them outright.

But suddenly he said, "English. It's English."

Paige's eyes widened. "What's English?"

As the girls stared at him with wide eyes, Alex cleared his throat, and began pulling Paige along behind him as he headed back to the hole. "There's writing down there. In English."

"What does it say?" Fiona asked, having to jog a little to keep up with her friends.

"You have to see it."

Paige sighed, and rolled her eyes. "Can't you just tell us?"

Alex shook his head as they arrived at the ladder. "No. You need to see it."

"I can't," insisted Paige, shaking her hair, gone wild with the humidity. "It's too dark down there."

"There are lights set up, it's not that dark," Alex said as he reassuringly ran a hand up and down her arm.

"It's too high up."

"Don't think of it as 'high up'," responded Alex, "It's really the opposite – it's down."

Paige scoffed. "That doesn't really help."

"Come on, Paige," groaned Alex, "You've faced your fear of heights before-"

"Because I had to!" Paige insisted.

"-And this is much easier. Just trust me, okay? You're not gonna fall. And you really want to see this."

Paige hesitated a moment, and then cautiously scooted forward to peer down the hole. She could see lights set up along the walls, lighting the ladder as far down as she could see. She knew that after that she'd have to be lowered into the tomb in a harness, and that was what scared her. She'd go down who knew how far with nothing below her feet. Could she really do that?

Uncertainly, she looked back at Alex. "This writing. Could it have something to do with Imhotep?"

Alex quickly shook his head. "Nah, this tomb hasn't been opened since before he was even alive the first time. I promise – no Imhotep."

Paige sighed, her shoulders falling as she again peered into the pit. Imagining going down that ladder made her sick to her stomach, but the last three years had made her a much bolder person. She knew what she was capable of, and going down a ladder and being lowered in a harness was really nothing compared to saving the world from an undead creature, or dealing with Alice's wedding jitters. She could do this.

"Okay," she finally relented, then looked over at her brunette friend. "Are you going down, too?"

"I can't stay up here alone, now, can I?" said Fiona, smiling though she was referencing her own phobia. "I'll go down. I want to see this, anyway."

Alex nodded. "Good. You _especially _need to take a look at this."

The expression on Fiona's face quickly changed from curiosity to complete confusion. "What do you mean, especially me?"

But Alex was already headed down the ladder, and he called up, "Just come on, already!"

The girls glanced at each other uncertainly, and then with a very small shrug, Fiona began to follow Alex down the ladder. Paige stood at the top a moment longer, taking deep breaths and trying to calm her racing heart. Darkness, heights, and ancient Egyptian things that contained English…none of these were anything good.

Carefully, Paige began down the ladder, her grip so tight on the handles that her knuckles turned white. From below she could hear the muffled breathing coming from Alex and Fiona, and after a few minutes she realized why they were breathing so hard. The ladder was very long, and going down a narrow tunnel. A panicked voice in the back of her head told her they were short on air, and though it was true there wasn't as much oxygen here as up above, Paige reassured herself by remembering that there was a great deal of air available below.

After what felt like an eternity, they reached the bottom of the ladder. Paige turned and looked around what appeared to be a large cavern as she shook her hands, feeling blisters beginning to build. There were a few workers with what looked like a complicated collection of fabric and rope and pulleys, and they motioned to the young adults to get ready to be lowered down.

Fiona glanced at Paige, and then smiled. "I'll go down first."

"But…" Paige started, confused, "You'll be alone."

Fi shook her head as she removed her hat and sweater, setting it down near the ladder. "No I won't. Evy and Rick are down there already, remember?"

Alex looked concerned as he held a hand up to motion to the workers to hold off on fitting the harness on Fiona. "They're a ways down the tunnel, and then down another ladder, Fiona. They aren't directly below. You'd be alone for a good five minutes."

Hearing this, Fiona swallowed hard, but one of the workers behind her corrected Alex. "Actually, Hafiz went down a moment ago so he can help you out of the harness. She wouldn't be alone down there."

With a sigh of relief, Fiona walked up to the workers and began pulling the harness on. "See? I'll be fine. And it's better if you're here to help Paige down."

Paige wanted to object, but it was true. Having Alex by her side until the moment they lowered her into the pit would be reassuring, and she needed that comfort in order to do this. She hadn't done anything frightening without him by her side since she'd ran off to Paris to face off Imhotep three years ago.

"Okay," Alex sighed. "Be careful."

Fiona nodded, and then was strapped into the harness, given instruction, and then she was lowered down into the pit. Six minutes later, the harness was back, and it was Paige's turn. She stood on her toes to give Alex a kiss before putting the harness on. Carefully, she followed the workers' instructions. She went to the edge and stood with her back to it, and then it was time for the terrifying part – she had to lean back into the pit without even being able to look. Her heart beat in her throat and she felt sick, but she swallowed twice, took a deep breath and then leaned back until her feet were flat against the wall. She felt ropes being pulled above her and then heard one of the workers shout, 'Now!' and she bent her knees, and then pushed off the wall. And suddenly, she was being lowed down into the darkness with nothing below her. Paige felt the bitter taste of fear in the back of her throat, but felt very proud of herself for not being paralyzed by fear as she would have been a few years ago. Still, she couldn't help but feel something deep in her chest tremble with terror, and tears ran down her cheeks unheeded, though she refused to sob. Air felt short for a different reason as she went further into darkness.

It took three minutes of being slowly lowered down for her feet to touch the ground at the bottom. This area was lighted by fire torches, since all the wires that led down had to be used by excavation tools and computers. Paige found the way the light moved on the ancient red walls eerie. Hafiz helped her out of the harness, and then gave it a jerk to let the workers above know that they could pull it back up.

Fiona gave Paige a quick hug, wrapping her long arms around the blonde's shoulders. "Good job, Paige. You did great."

"Yeah," joked Paige breathlessly, wiping tears from her cheek, "I didn't even scream once."

A few minutes later, Alex joined them and led them down a narrow tunnel, to another ladder. This one was significantly shorter than the first, and soon they found themselves in another narrow corridor.

"It's just up here," Alex reassured them as he took Paige's hand and led the way. Here there were a few electric lights, which ran on batteries. Finally, he turned into a room, a large burial chamber still filled with statues, piles of dried incense and amulets and papyrus scrolls, even a few cracked vases. In a pile of incense cones, Paige recognized an Osiris bed, a brick with the image of the god of the underworld Osiris cut into it. Barley would have been planted in it, but the soil was long gone.

A crew of workers, the Egyptologist friend of Evy O'Connells and Evy and Rick themselves stood around a large sarcophagus. The stunning golden funerary mask had been removed, the image of a beautiful woman painted onto it. It wasn't the outer coffin mask Paige was used to seeing, though – it was small, like it had been made on the face of the mummy itself. The lid for the sarcophagus had been removed and was leaning against a wall, being examined by Evy and the Egyptologist while Rick seemed to be getting a closer look at the mummy, still lying in it's final resting place.

Once Evy spotted them, she waved them closer, and then leaned in to look at the inner side of the lid of the sarcophagus. "Did he tell you what it says?" she asked the girls.

Fi shook her head and Paige replied, "No, he likes to build suspense. What does it say?"

Again, Evy waved them closer, and the workers stepped aside as the girls moved in to get a good look. Evy moved out of the way, but carefully pointed her finger at faded marks on the inner lid. She handed Paige a lighted magnifying glass, and Paige leaned in to get a closer look, trying to ignore the mummy of the woman a few feet away from her.

"I can't see anything," she admitted.

Evy nodded, understanding. "At first I thought they may have been nail marks, like…like a certain someone," she said softly, and Paige thought she was oddly excited. But then, Evy was like this anytime they discovered something weird. "But then I realized they were letters."

The Egyptologist leaned in, and with a thin finger followed the lines, careful not to touch the actual stone. "This is an 'S', then an 'I', and then a 'T' and another 'I'….do you see it now?"

Paige bit her lip softly and tried to focus her eyes differently, looking even closer. Finally, she smiled. "Yeah, I see it. Sitiah? But there's a line through it."

"Yes," said Evy, pulling her curls out of her face. "The name was scratched out and replaced with the name 'Nebthet', the Egyptian name for the goddess Nephthys."

"The markings look newer on each line…" said the Egyptologist, lowering his finger to point to a word below the scratched out 'Sitiah'.

Paige looked at the word, eyes tracing each line before her mind put together the shapes as letters…and then she gasped softly. "Miu! It says Miu!"

"I thought you might find that interesting," said Evy, though some of the excitement had left with her voice, anxiety taking it's place.

Hesitantly, Fiona moved in closer, trying to see the words without the aid of the magnifying glass. "Did…didn't you say that was my name in another life, Paige?" she asked, though she felt sick in speaking. She still found it difficult to believe she'd been reincarnated. Nearly impossible at times, really – sometimes she had to convince herself that Paige wouldn't lie. And all this business about mummies being raised from the dead seemed to prove it.

Still, anytime she thought about reincarnation or the ancient dead coming back to life, she couldn't help but reach for the cross on her necklace for reassurance.

Paige nodded as she continued to look at what seemed to be a list of names. "Yeah. When I was Isis, you were her best friend Miu. I don't recognize this next one – Yuzuki? But…oh my word. Colette is a modern name."

"So is 'Amelia', the next name," said Rick, coming up behind them. "Paige, let Fi read the next one."

Confused but obedient, Paige handed the glass to Fiona and stepped aside. Fi, equally confused, stepped up and looked at the name at the bottom. At first it seemed to be a bunch of scribbles, though the lines were not nearly as faded as the ones above them. But after a few seconds, Fiona felt dizzy as she recognized the two names.

"The first is Abigail, though it's been scratched out…" she whispered, lowering the glass and looking at Evy in confusion and fear. "The second is Fiona. My name."

"How is this possible?" Paige whispered, also beginning to feel unsteady. She reached out for Alex and he was there, wrapping an arm around her waist.

The Egyptologist moved away from the lid, and puffed air out quickly, and then he exclaimed, "It's impossible!"

"When you've been through as many impossibilities as we have, Henry, you realize that _anything_ is possible," said Evy tiredly as she turned and walked away from the impossible words a few paces. From her tone and the pain in her face, it was clear she was sick of seeing impossibilities.

"But…but that's my name," said Fiona fearfully, handing the glass to Henry the Egyptologist and following Evy. "That's my name, the one I was going to have."

"What do you mean?" asked Henry, confused, his head already spinning.

Fi turned to face him, her hand clutching the cross hard enough to leave a white imprint on her palm. "Abigail. When my birth mother gave my brother and I up, she wrote us each a letter that we received when we turned eighteen. She told me that had she kept me, she would have named me Abigail after her mother. No one but Sebastian and my parents know that, how…how could it be here? Is it a coincidence?"

Paige shook her head. "I don't think so. Your name in a past life is here, too. That'd be one hell of a coincidence."

"But what does it mean?" Fi asked earnestly.

Everyone could only shake their heads. No one knew what it meant, and no one knew what to do about it. Most had never encountered something so strange in their lives before, and those who had been through strange things had always been dragged through them somehow. Never before had they been handed something unnatural without any idea of what it was, or what to do with it.

"I…I suppose I'll take pictures of it. Send it to…send it to someone," said Evy, as she picked up her bag and pulled her camera out. "I don't know what anyone can do, though."

"I wish I knew what this was…" Paige whispered, looking from the lid to the mummy of the woman in the coffin. This mummy hadn't been as well preserved as she'd expected…but then, it was older than any mummy she'd seen before. "All I can think of is…"

"Is what?" asked Fiona, fear apparent in her voice. She was used to living in a normal world, and for the bizarre to touch her life, her personally…it was chilling. "Tell me, any theory you have because I just…I just don't know what to think."

Paige shrugged weakly, moving away from Alex to walk up to Fi and take her hand, "The only thing I can think of is…is maybe that's a list of your past names. And this…this is you."

Fiona's eyes widened in shock. She turned to the coffin, and moved closer to get a better look. She tried to comprehend Paige's suggestion, that this…this long, skeletal, decayed thing covered in linen was her body in another life. That this was her.

She felt dizzy again, and her vision blurred as she stumbled. Paige grabbed her and supported her weight as Fiona tried to find her feet below her. Her stomach twisted in horror as the image of her own decomposed body filled her eyes. "I…I need to get out of here. I need air."

Rick stepped forward, taking Fi's arm and stabilizing her better than Paige could. "We need to get back to Cairo, anyway. Let's go…Evy, meet us when you're done taking pictures."

"Alright," said Evy, as she snapped a close-up photo of the English writing on the lid.

Slowly, Rick, Alex, Paige and Fiona made their way out of the chamber and into the corridor. As they turned and one by one headed back towards the surface, Fiona couldn't help but take one last glance back at the body that might have been hers.

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><p><strong>Artificial: <strong>Please, if you liked it, if you didn't like it, if you're waiting to see how things go, leave a review. Feedback is how I grow as a writer. Thank you!


	3. Two Ships

**A/N: **I know, I'm late. Honestly, the only reason this is currently getting an update is because it's been pre-written up to ten chapters.

Normally I'd only post things about my personal life as a 'hey, sorry I'm late, this is why'. But this time I'm posting a plea. If you're the kind to pray, or send good energy or thoughts, my family and friends could use it. My mother has been in the hospital for nearly three weeks and may be in for three more, and then months in rehab, as she got very sick very suddenly and is currently suffering from neuropathy (the doctor's think, this is just the current theory) which has temporarily (hopefully) paralyzed her. I spend ten plus hours at the hospital every day doing everything for her, so there's been no time to write or upload chapters. At the same time, my nephew in all but blood is in the PICU, partially due to bronchitis so bad he has to be on a ventilator, and partially because his parents are waiting for test results for SMA. SMA is fatal. So though it might be a bit pathetic of me, I'm asking for prayers from anyone comfortable enough. We need it.

With all that sadness out of the way, it's down to business.

**Disclaimer:** A quick reminder that the Mummy is owned (I believe) but Universal Studios and I make no money from this story. Also, the bar mentioned in this chapter is heavily inspired by the bar The Spare Room at the Hollywood Roosevelt hotel. If anyone is interested, the two songs mentioned in this chapter are "Better" by Regina Spektor and "Odi et Amo" by Elizaveta. Because when I wrote this chapter those were literally the only two songs I would listen to.

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><p>Set<p>

**Chapter Two**

**Two Ships**

A few years ago, Jonathan would have chosen a much less classy bar.

The local haunts used to be his bars of choice, filled with cigarette smoke and loud slurring, with a radio blasting stations with American music, where you had to keep a close watch on your wallet whether you were gambling or just getting a cheap drink. Hell, before Alex was born he'd been one of those pickpockets the tourists were warned about.

But time changes everyone, and Jonathan found it impossible to resist. Over the years he had finally grown into a, while not terribly responsible, somewhat stable man with a solid income (if money given to him by the United Nations every six months for saving the world three times counted for 'solid'). His family was everything to him, and he had finally accepted that. His priorities had moved from finding a new girl every night to looking for as deep an emotional connection as he could manage and trying to start his own family, if it wasn't too late.

So instead of stumbling drunk from bar to bar on the poorer side of Cairo, he went down to the hotel bar, and instead of gambling a great deal of money away playing poker, he played an honest game of Jenga.

Bar None was definitely much classier than any bar Jonathan had been to before….much larger, too. The seating consisted of plush couches, overstuffed booths and armchairs all in dark brown, cream or grey leather. The tables were dark wood with candles atop them, or black leather lined with brass studs. The lighting was mostly what appeared to be black plastic chandeliers with electric-lighted candles, or real crystal chandeliers if you were at the bar. The bar itself was long, dark wood with high black bar chairs and walls lined with all sorts of bottles.

Officially, the place was called a game parlor and cocktail bar. Each table had a case of dominos or playing cards stashed to the side, and near the couches were walls with built-in shelves holding chess sets, backgammon boards and, yes, even Jenga sitting beside travel books and little statues. One section of the bar even had two lanes for bowling.

Though he had come alone, Jonathan quickly found a group of businessmen to sit and talk with. They mistook him for one of their own, thought he was the CEO of some company or other here for the same conference they were. He didn't correct them, and thanked his lucky stars Alex had helped him pick out his grey suit for the wedding. It had gotten him an invitation to join them at their VIP table, where they bought him a gin and tonic, loosened their ties, lit cigars and began discussing economics in their respective countries. Jonathan nodded and listened respectively, but it wasn't until his third drink he really felt comfortable. Though perhaps that had to do with the Japanese stock broker's suggestion that they play a game. Jonathan talked them out of poker and into Jenga, not wanting to give in to his old weaknesses.

Still, what was a game without a bet? Jonathan found himself putting a hundred dollar bill in a pile with the five other men's, a pot that the winner of the game would get to take home. After a long, intense half-hour, Jonathan was surprised to find himself victorious. He took his winnings, said goodbye to his new friends, and headed to the bar, a few hundred dollars richer.

This part of the lounge was brightly lit, with crystal chandeliers and a white marble floor. From his spot in the VIP booth he had noticed a tall blonde in a tiny pink dress take a seat at the end, and Jonathan had decided that he'd done the mature thing coming to the mature bar, and now a bit of shallowness was allowed.

It being the weekend, the bar itself was crowded, and he had to fight to get close to the bar. The crowd was spaced out but there were quite a few of them, requiring a bit of weaving to get through. He finally reached the bar and found a seat, but had to wait for the bartender to finish mixing a cocktail before he could order. So he sat there, tapping his fingers to the music that only played on this side of the lounge. It was some sort of fancy music that he'd never have heard in a pub, with a woman both singing and making random sounds with her mouth as a sort of instrument. Still, it was a pleasant voice and a nice beat and Jonathan found himself enjoying it.

He felt movement behind him, but there was no chance in hell he was going to give up this seat. When he heard a woman's voice cry out, he turned.

A little ways behind him was a tall, voluptuous redhead dressed in a one-shoulder, dark blue dress with flowy draped fabric, and peeptoe heels in the same color, covered in silver studs. Jonathan wondered why he even bothered to notice her shoes, when he realized his eyes had been following a long, white line at her side…some sort of cane. The woman had a drink spilled down her front, and her hand gripped the shoulder of a shorter man, and she turned him around roughly.

"Excuse me, _sir,_" she said, her voice filled with irritation and forced politeness. Jonathan thought her accent might be Australian. "I believe you owe me an apology."

The man glared at the redhead with equal irritation and shrugged her hand off his shoulder, but he still smiled and said through gritted teeth, "Sorry 'bout that, love." A second later he spoke again under his breath, but Jonathan couldn't catch what was said.

The woman placed her free hand on one of her wide hips. "I hate to be cliché, but sir, I am _blind_, not _deaf_!" she exclaimed. "And I won't go into what _you_ are, except to say it involves a curly tail, a snout and a delicious breakfast meat. Now I think you owe me another apology, as well as some money for the dry cleaners, don't you?"

Jonathan wanted to hear if the man apologized in the face of her fierce eyes, but the bartender arrived at just that moment.

"I'll take a gimlet, please," he ordered. As his drink was made, the man sitting beside him left and the redhead quickly took his place. Jonathan hesitated to look at her, but remembering the cane and her statement about being blind, he felt comfortable taking a few quick glimpses.

She wasn't his usual type, but she was still rather pretty. Her thick red hair fell over her shoulders in little waves, her skin was very pale and there were two certain large and round aspects of her body he liked very much, though they were modestly covered by the top of her dress. He noted, though, that her body was quite toned in a way he didn't find beautiful. He risked a look at her face, and found it very pleasant – narrow and heart-shaped with dark blue eyes, a full, wide mouth and a cute little nose.

Actually, if he set aside his usual shallow preference for thin, leggy blondes, she was very attractive indeed. And he had to admit the way she dabbed a cocktail napkin over her chest to soak up the earlier man's drink was difficult to look away from.

His drink arrived finally, and he found himself drinking it slowly rather than carrying it to the blonde at the end of the bar. By the time he was finished, the redhead had already finished her drink and was getting up to leave.

He sat there a moment, holding his breath and debating. His usual type never seemed to work for him. Perhaps he needed to give another sort of woman a chance. And was he really going to let a sexy, sharp-tongued redhead get away when lady luck was obviously on his side?

Quickly, Jonathan got up and turned – and stumbled right into the woman's soft hair.

"Oh!" they both cried out, and quickly Jonathan took a step back and helped the woman straighten herself. She opened her mouth to speak, but Jonathan quickly interrupted her.

"Yes, sorry. I overheard what happened the last time some bloke bumped into you, no need to tell me," he said, straightening his jacket though he suspected she couldn't see it. "I apologize for bumping into you. Can I…eh, can I buy you a drink to make up for it?"

The woman raised a thinly-arched brow, and Jonathan's heart began to race and he anticipated disappointment. But when her shoulders shrugged ever-so-slightly, he smiled.

"Maybe," she said in almost a sing-song voice, "Are you handsome?"

"Ruggedly so," Jonathan responded immediately.

"Hm. That response usually means you're a little strange-looking," she said, and though she was looking beside his shoulder, she winked. "How about age?"

"Thirty-five."

"In your forties, then," she responded, but then she turned and took her seat at the bar again. "You've got a sense of humor, though, and I like that. I'll have a Dark n Stormy."

Victorious once again, Jonathan smiled and sat beside her. He ordered her drink and another gimlet for himself, and then turned towards her. Her eyes were deeper set then he initially thought, and lined with dark grey. The edges of her full mouth were turned up, and her lips were painted a deep burgundy. He definitely was lucky tonight – first being mistaken for a CEO, then winning hundreds of dollars, and now a gorgeous redhead was having a drink with him. He couldn't help but hope he'd get even luckier as the night went on.

"So, mystery man, are you going to give me your name, or…?"

Jonathan pursed his lips a moment, and then responded and he adjusted his jacket again, "Jonathan. Jonathan Carnahan."

The girl frowned, thin lines appearing between her brows. "Carnahan? Jonathan – not _the _Jonathan Carnahan?"

Jonathan blinked, watching her confused expression as he felt one come over his own face. "Ah, well, I'm the only Jonathan Carnahan I've ever heard of."

He felt even more confused when her narrow jaw hung open for a moment, and then a slight pink blush formed on her cheeks. "You're Jonathan Carnahan? The man who saved the world from an undead being _three times_?"

Jonathan couldn't help but feel pleased, and a bit surprised. It seemed no one ever remembered him or his family for saving the world, only for their ties to Egyptology. Especially, no one ever remembered _him,_ just Rick and Evy and Alex, the boy who faced the mummy at eight years old. Jonathan Carnahan was usually a name in the parenthesis or footnotes.

"I….y-yes?" he stammered.

"Don't know who you are, do you?" asked the girl with mild irritation. "Are you asking _me _if you're that Jonathan Carnahan?"

He shook his head and then said quickly, "No. No. Yes, I am that Jonathan Carnahan."

"Remember, it's not polite to lie to a blind girl about your identity."

"I'm not lying, I swear," said Jonathan, now feeling excited at the prospect of this gorgeous woman knowing who he was, "I'm Jonathan Carnahan, brother of Evy O'Connell, the one that first raised that Imhotep bloke. That's me, I just…people don't normally remember me."

"Why the hell not? You were there just as much as anyone else was," said the girl, and then she offered her hand. "I'm Heather, by the way. Heather Heidenreich."

Jonathan took her hand eagerly and shook it, and noted how most of the skin was soft but she still had calluses on her palms. "Pleasure to meet you, Heather Heidenreich. Isn't that German?"

Their drinks arrived, and Heather took hers in both hands and held it a moment before answering. "Yes. My parents are German, but I grew up in Australia."

"How did that happen?" asked Jonathan curiously, and he picked up his drink. He thought about taking a sip for a moment, but felt reluctant to take his eyes off the girl.

Heather took a large gulp of her drink before responding. "Before I was born my parents came into a good amount of money, and decided to move to the country they were planning to retire to early."

"Ah." At last, Jonathan tore his eyes off Heather's face and looked down at his drink, but he still didn't lift it to his lips. "I spent half my life in England, half in Egypt. Sometimes I still don't know whether to say I'm English or Egyptian."

"You have an English accent…though of course I couldn't say what part," said Heather, rolling her glass between her palms.

"Yes, because I spent my younger years in England. But most of my adolescence and adult years are split down the middle, between Egypt and England. My father was English and my mother Egyptian," he explained quickly, "So it makes sense I grew up in both places. Though my sister has always seemed to favor Egypt…"

Heather smirked. "You know, when you're trying to impress a woman, it's not a good idea to bring up any other women."

"But she's just my sister-"

"Even a sister. Especially a sister, really, because than the girl you're trying to impress knows you've grown up with this woman who may be your idea of how women are supposed to be. And there's no way I could compete with Evy O'Connell."

Jonathan snorted. "Please. You're pretty, smart and cheeky – what else is a chap supposed to look for?"

"Oh, I don't know – savior of the world, maybe?" asked Heather, that sing-song tone in her voice again.

Jonathan finally decided to take a drink, and found himself downing the thing in a few swallows. He set the empty glass down on the bar with a light thud, and got the attention of the bartender by knocking on the bar. "I'll have a Dark n Stormy, please."

Heather laughed beside him as she ran a finger in circles around the top of her glass. "Need to get drunk to talk to me?"

"I only drink this fast when I'm nervous," Jonathan admitted, tapping his fingers on the bar as he waited for his next drink. "So I guess you could say…yes, yes I do."

He liked the way her eyes lit up then, a little mix of embarrassment, alcohol and satisfaction. And then, mischievousness. "Well, I hope you aren't driving, then…" she said as she reached out a hand. Her fingers ran through his hair at the back of his head, and then forward until they grazed his ear. And then she leaned forward and whispered in his ear, "I've fantasized about you, you know."

"Y-you what?"

She laughed again and leaned back. "Not like _that_, though. About meeting you. I read all sorts of articles and watched news reports about that Imhotep creature, and you and your family's adventures. I always thought you'd be rather dashing."

"Well – am I as dashing as you hoped?"

She shrugged. "We'll see."

They sat together without speaking a moment, she sipping her drink and he waiting on his. He realized as he watched her that she was more than just pretty. There was something glowing about her, a light or a fire just under her skin. This was the sort of glow Evy sometimes had, when feeling independent and determined to do what was right despite anything else. But where Evy's came and went, Heather's seemed to remain, and it had more of a spark. She just looked so very _alive. _

Though maybe that was the alcohol.

"So, are you going to ask?" Heather wondered as the bartender brought Jonathan's drink, and Jonathan couldn't remember what number drink it was.

"Ask what?" he asked as he picked the drink up, took a sip, and had newfound respect for Heather for preferring this drink.

"How blind I am, how I got to be blind…"

"I thought that would be rude."

"Oh, it is," said Heather, tossing her hair over her shoulder. Jonathan smiled a little. "But that doesn't usually stop people."

Jonathan took another sip from the drink and then said, "Well, consider me not like most people."

"I already do," she said, and winked in his direction again. Then she said, "I do see a little, but only shadows and outlines of things. I need the cane in case of stairs or slopes, and I use a service dog if I'm in a city I don't know."

"Oh," was all Jonathan could think to say for a moment. "Have you been in Cairo long?"

Heather shook her head, and Jonathan noted how her red hair shined under the light of the crystal chandelier. "Only a couple of days. I'm traveling the world, or at least a few parts of the world. My first stop was Tokyo, and I'll be here a couple weeks before I go on to Italy."

"Sounds exciting," noted Jonathan, admiring her for traveling around the world alone. And then he felt afraid that she wasn't alone.

She wet her lips with the tip of her tongue before replying, "Not that much. Not nearly as exciting as your vacations apparently are."

Jonathan couldn't help snorting and rolling his eyes. "They aren't exciting on purpose. They just sort of…end up that way."

She folded her hands on the bar leaned against and dark wood. "And this vacation? Anything terribly exciting? Any new mummy threats to defeat?"

Jonathan leaned forward too, with his elbow on the bar. "Not this time. I'm just going to the wedding of a friend."

"If you're going stag, then I would certainly call that exciting," she said, laughter in her voice. "There is nothing scarier than a single man facing off desperate bridesmaids."

"Thankfully, the only bridesmaid is less than half my age and my nephew's girlfriend's best friend, so I don't think I have much to worry about."

"Ah…too bad. I was going to offer to be your buffer."

Jonathan didn't know how to respond to that, and instead finished off his drink. They sat in silence again, and Jonathan didn't notice if it was awkward or not. All he could do was stare at this woman and try to figure her out.

The song changed then, to something soft with piano and one woman singing. With a glance around, Jonathan realized that the bar area had emptied quite a bit, and most were seated on the couches in the lounge area.

When the woman singer began singing something operatic and Latin, Jonathan found himself standing. "Dance with me, Heather."

"What?" she asked, genuinely confused. "You…want to dance?"

"Yeah," he said, straightening his coat again. "Why not?"

"Is anyone else dancing?"

No, there wasn't. "Does it matter, sweetheart?"

She smirked. "Trying to sweet talk me, are you?"

He took her hand and gently pulled her out of the bar chair. "I've got to get you to dance with me before you decide you don't like me."

"What makes you think I'm going to dislike you?"

"Experience," he responded before he realized how sad that sounded. Still, it was true. The only girls of any substance he'd been with lost interest in him very quickly, and admittedly it was for good reason. He hadn't always been dependable. But he felt that he was now – or at least, could be. And he didn't want to lose a chance with Heather before it even started. So, his drunken brain provided him with only one plan: dance.

He didn't like the flash of sadness in her eyes he saw then, but she took his hand and smiled a moment later. "Lead me to the dance floor."

Obediently, he turned and headed over to the large, empty space beside the bar. He put a hand on her hip and noted the silky fabric beneath the rougher, flowy one and then took her other hand in his. Her callused hand went on his shoulder, and slowly they began to rock back and forth.

"This is nice," she commented, a forced smile on her face.

"I'm a terrible dancer," Jonathan admitted.

She laughed. "Then why did you suggest this?"

Jonathan shrugged, not entirely sure himself. "I guess I thought it'd be easier to be charming if I had you in my arms."

"Not quite in your arms though, am I?" asked Heather slowly. She released him and placed her hands on his chest, and then slowly moved them up and around his neck. He quickly wrapped his arms around her wide hips. "_Now_ I'm in your arms."

"Do I seem more dashing to you now?" he asked.

He saw he bite her lip a moment before saying, "Yes. Much more dashing."

He chuckled, and they rocked back and forth to the dramatic song for a moment or two, and Jonathan could feel his heart racing and he felt like he couldn't breathe and his head was swimming and _good God was this what genuine attraction felt like_? He'd felt nothing but physical attraction for more years than he cared to name, but this…this felt different.

"Do you remember how I tried to get you to invite me to that wedding you're going to?" Heather asked.

He nodded. "Yes?"

"Think you'll be dancing with someone else if I don't go with you?"

"Probably not."

"Hmmm." Heather was silent for a moment, and then said, "Makes this special, doesn't it?"

"Yeah, I guess you could say that."

She stepped away suddenly, and put her hands on her hips before Jonathan could object to the loss of her body warmth. "Jonathan Carnahan, I'm doing my best hinting work here, but you're really impossible."

"I…"

"Are you going to the wedding by yourself?"

"Yes."

"Do you want to go by yourself?"

"I…no."

"Well then?"

Jonathan stood still a moment, looking at the redhead with surprise and admiration, and then said,

"Heather, do you want to go to a wedding with me?"

She smiled.

"Why, Jonathan, we just met, this is so out of the blue…" she said sweetly, stepping up and wrapping her arms around his neck again. "But yes. I'd love to."

* * *

><p><strong>Artificial: <strong>Once upon a time a very long time ago, eleven year old me found a Mummy roleplaying/fanfic writing forum and embarrassed herself thoroughly. But still, the character she created for an awful fanfic involving two Imhotep clones, a piano in Hamunaptra and Phantom of the Opera lyrics as dialogue stuck with me, and I'm glad to finally find a place for Heather, though she's evolved quite a bit since her creation. Please, leave a review and let me know what you think. Find Heather obnoxious? Hope she shows up again? Wish Jonathan would go back to how he used to be? Love that he's growing as a person? I want to hear every opinion. They are all listened to, and though the next few chapters are set in stone, they can easily shape how the story goes from there. Thank you!


	4. Realization

**A/N:** Here, have a chapter for Christmas. Or whatever winter holiday you celebrate. Or just because I love you.

* * *

><p>Set<p>

**Chapter Three**

**Realization**

"Oh, come on, Paige! How long do you plan on being in there?" Alex shouted through the bathroom door in their hotel room, trying to be heard over the running water.

"I'm taking a shower!" the blonde girl insisted.

Alex rolled his eyes. "I know that. You've been taking a shower for like, an hour now."

"You know I take showers when I'm stressed, Alex!"

"Other people need to get in there, Paige!"

"They can wait their turn, Alex!"

"It's my turn to shower_ now_, Paige!" Alex put his hand on the door handle. "Don't make me come in there!"

"Maybe I _want_ you to come in here…"

Alex grinned. "Well then, maybe I will."

From her place in the living-room, Fiona shouted, "Please don't!"

Alex glanced back at the brunette, sitting cross-legged in a chair with a Bible in her lap. He rolled his eyes. "I wasn't going to – I mean, we weren't gonna-"

"Sure you weren't," said Fi, who then smiled. Alex smiled back, mostly to hide his wince as he saw how fake his friend's smile was. Normally she had dimples, and little lines around her eyes when she smiled or laughed. This smile may as well be painted on.

Of course, it was understandable. Their trip to Egypt was eerily similar to the one they took three years ago. Or at least, this outcome was.

Three years ago, Paige had come back from Hamunaptra with the information that she was a reincarnated concubine, and it had taken her a long time to comprehend that. Fiona had come back from the Valley of the Kings with her own mystery. She'd been told she was reincarnated already, but now her name was in English in an ancient tomb along with a list of other names, including her previous life as a concubine. Maybe all the names were her. And that was also difficult to comprehend, even for people experienced with weird past lives.

And it was further complicated by Fiona's faith, her belief that reincarnation wasn't possible, and yet kept proving to be. He couldn't help but feel sorry for the spiritual crisis she was surely going through.

Finally, Alex heard the water in the bathroom turn off. He released the door handle. "About time!"

"Oh, shut up," he heard Paige sigh from the other side. "I'll be out in just a minute."

Pushing his hands deep into his pockets, Alex made his way back into the living room area of the hotel room. He collapsed in the chair across from Fiona's with a sigh, and watched her read for a moment before speaking. "So…you okay?"

Fiona's eyes glanced up before she placed a pink and gold painted fingertip to the page to save her place. "Of course I am, why do you ask?" she spoke as she moved her head up to stare back at him.

In reply, Alex just stared back at her, his mouth set in a line. His brown eyes bored into her blue ones until she sighed, and tugged down on her grey and pink-floral striped tanktop, in the way he had begun to recognize was a nervous habit.

"Okay, fine," she sighed, closing the book and setting it on the table beside her. "I try to keep a positive outlook, I really do, but I'm starting to really freak out."

"That's understandable."

"I mean…" Fi began curling her hair around her finger, another nervous habit. "I mean, I was just starting to get used to the idea of having _one_ past life, and now I might have _five? _And even if that isn't the case, my name is there, in English, in an ancient Egyptian tomb. I just…I don't know what to think, or how to react or what to do with this information."

Alex shrugged, leaning back in the chair and reaching out with his legs to rest his feet on the coffee table. "I wish I had something comforting to say to you, but honestly, there's just nothing. Anytime something like this happens, we like to sit around and talk about it and try to figure it out as if we had any control. But it always just sort of comes and blows up in our faces," said Alex as he leaned his head back and closed his eyes. "Either the names will matter and the problem will find us, or they'll always just be some weird thing we found but never explained."

He was one to talk, really. He hadn't slept since they found the names. He tried sleeping all night, tossed and turned, but all he could do was wonder how the hell English words had found their way into that tomb.

Finally, the door to the bathroom opened and Paige emerged from a cloud of steam, in distressed shorts, a beige sequin tank top, brown stiletto boots and the ever-present scarab necklace.

Fiona laughed. "Do you ever dress appropriately anymore?"

"What?" asked Paige distractedly as she ran her fingers through her hair, trying to get some of the moisture out.

Alex sat up. "I swear, you dress weirder and weirder every day."

Fiona stood, and stretched her arms over her head. "I don't know, her style was pretty weird in high school."

"Ha!" Alex snorted. "You're telling me. You should have seen what she wore on her date with Josh. It was ridiculous."

Alex and Fiona watched as Paige made her way to the sofa and collapsed on it, laying down with her shoes hanging over the arm. They waited for a moment, and when she didn't have a witty comeback, they glanced at each other worriedly.

"Are you okay, Paige?" Fiona asked, concerned, walking forward to stand over her friend.

Paige glanced at Fi. "What? Oh, yeah, I'm cool. Sorry, the hot water made me sleepy."

Alex stood. "Yeah, I think we could all use a nap."

The door to the hotel room opened, and in walked Jonathan, still in his grey suit though with the tie loosened, his hair sticking up at odd angles, dark circles under his eyes.

"Speaking of sleepless nights…" muttered Alex.

Jonathan closed the door by leaning against it, and he stood there for a moment before he realized the younger adults were awake, all staring at him. Awkwardly, he waved. "Morning, everyone. Wrong room, huh? Must've grabbed the wrong key last night…" he paused for a moment, and then asked, "How did you lot sleep?"

"How did _you_ sleep? Or…_where_?" asked Alex, moving towards his uncle. "Not jail again. Please tell me you didn't get arrested. I know it's been years but Egypt always seems to bring the worst out in you."

Jonathan snorted and waved his hand dismissively. "No, no, 'course not. I met someone."

Alex stopped and shifted awkwardly. "Oh. Well, in that case, we don't really need details like-"

Again, Jonathan waved his hand dismissively. He headed to the living room and collapsed in Alex's seat with a loud 'thud' and a heavy sigh. "It wasn't like that. We stayed up and talked all night, just…talked."

Paige raised an eyebrow. "Really? You…just talked?"

Jonathan nodded, his eyes closed as he placed a hand on his forehead. He was obviously fighting a hangover. "Yes, we talked. All night. Though honestly, mostly I talked and she listened. She didn't seem to want to talk about herself very much. Still…"

"Still what?" Fiona asked, sitting on the coffee table across from Paige.

He opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling as he replied. "I think I found her. The One."

Around him, Alex, Paige and Fiona were silent, first staring at him in disbelief, then looking at each other as if hoping for an explanation. Jonathan, the seemingly proud bachelor, declaring a woman he'd just met 'The One'? Even the words 'The One' sounded odd coming from his mouth, almost like a child practicing a curse word.

"I…" Alex wanted to say something encouraging or at least to ask who the woman was, but words failed him. It didn't matter, because a moment later they could hear a banging on the door beside them, and then yelling.

That was Evy and Rick's room.

Quickly, the group stood and headed into the hallway. The door was cracked open, and Alex pushed it open an inch more and peeked inside. He breathed a sigh of relief and looked back at everyone and said, "It's Ardeth."

He pushed the door open the rest of the way and the group followed him in. Evy and Rick were standing around the coffee table, with Alice coming in from the dining area with Diana and Robert. Ardeth was pacing across the length of the room, yelling in both Arabic and English.

Ardeth stopped in his garbled ranting to corner Rick. "You should have answered your phone, damn you!"

Rick wasn't one to be yelled at, especially when he didn't know why. "I always forget to turn it on, Ardeth, you know that!"

"I told you I would call if something important happened, Rick O'Connell!"

"_I_ told _you_ to get Alex's number instead – he answers his phone more often!"

Ardeth charged forward until Rick and he were nearly touching. "It is not your son's responsibility!"

"What the hell is your problem, man? I didn't answer my phone. You're here instead, so just…tell us what happened."

Ardeth spun around, his eyes searching every face until he found Alice's. He stepped away from Rick, and moved towards his bride-to-be. "Why didn't _you _answer your phone?"

Alice was much calmer than Rick, and she stepped forward and folded her hands in front of her. "I've been on the phone with delivery people all day, for our wedding tomorrow," she reminded him gently, but a hint of worry was in her soft voice. "What happened, Ardeth? Why are you so afraid?"

And now the others in the room could see it. Ardeth's hands were clenched into fists at his sides, his face was white with purplish-black circles underneath his eyes betraying that he hadn't slept in quite some time. Even his pupils were larger than usual, proof that whatever anger he may be showing, something had Ardeth terrified.

Leave it to Alice to see straight through him.

Ardeth turned, and collapsed in the nearby recliner, and everyone else gathered around him, varying levels of fear on their faces. "James Parsons was the man that helped the Creature adjust to modern life. He has stolen the Scroll of Thebes-"

"He has? But it's safely locked away in the museum!" Evy interrupted, but looked sheepish when everyone shushed her.

"He stole the Scroll, which has the power to raise any soul from the dead, though it only works once," muttered Ardeth, his words soft but quick. His eyes were closed tight as though he believed that if he didn't see reality, it couldn't be true. "He left the city with a group of diggers and guides…headed towards Ahm-Shere."

"Oh my God," whispered Alex, quickly gripping Paige's hand.

Rick stared down at the defeated-looking Med-Jai, and he tried not to lose hope. "You mean this Parsons guy is…"

Ardeth opened his eyes, glanced at Alice's white face, and then looked at Rick. "Parsons seems to intend to raise the Scorpion King and use the Army to take over the world, and reap the benefits he thought he would obtain through the Creature."

"Oh my _God_," Alex muttered again, squeezing Paige's hand. The blonde looked from Ardeth to her friend and saw Fiona gripping the cross and her lips moving, probably forming a prayer. Alex had told Paige all about the Scorpion King long ago, and Paige had told Fiona. She remembered how they'd laughed with relief and thanked their lucky stars that there was no way for such a monster to come back.

"What do we do now, then?" asked Robert, Paige and Alice's father. He too had been told all about the O'Connell's adventures, along with his ex-wife, Diana, who stood a little ways behind him. "How do we stop this from happening?"

"No, but wait," said Rick, turning from Ardeth and running his hands through his hair as he walked to the other side of the room. He stared down at the busy street below. "I sent the Scorpion King to the Underworld. There's no way he could come back from that."

"Um…" Paige squeaked, raising her free hand like she did in class when she had to admit she hadn't done the assignment. "Imhotep was sent to the Underworld, too, and uh…I brought him back, so…"

Ardeth stood. "We should leave immediately. We must not allow what happened with the Creature to happen again. We must stop James Parsons before he succeeds in his mission." Ardeth walked to his fiancée, and took her softly by the arm. He squeezed it once reassuringly, and when she weakly smiled at him, he turned to face the others. "Do any of you recall how to get to Ahm-Shere?"

Alex shook his head. "I was too young to remember. I think we were in Karnak at one point, and right before Ahm-Shere there was a pool of water…but that's all I remember on locations. Even if I remembered each stop, we'd need to know exactly where the pyramid was. The oasis is gone," Alex paused as Paige rested her forehead against his shoulder, and he swore he could hear her stifle a sob. He wanted to kiss her, but there was no time for that. "Dad, do you remember?"

Rick turned to face Ardeth with a finger raised and his mouth open, but he paused and a moment later he lowered his hand. "Ah, no. I don't. Izzy flew us most of the way. I'll call him and see if he remembers."

While Rick went to find his cell phone in his bedroom, Ardeth began shouting demands, telling everyone to pack only the essentials and anything they might need on a long, hard trip through the desert, and explaining that they would first go to the Med-Jai camp so that they could gather more equipment before going on to Ahm-Shere. Evy tried to tell Alex, Paige and Fiona to get ready to go back to England, but one look from Alex told her that nothing she said would stop him from following them, and Paige would be right beside him, and where Paige was, Fiona would follow.

While Evy tried in vain to argue with her son, Ardeth continued to shout orders. When he told Alice to take her parents to the airport quickly, she shook her head.

"No."

"_No_? Alice, you do not understand how-"

"I understand perfectly, Ardeth Bey," she said, setting her hands on her narrow hips. When she used his full name, she was either feeling very angry or very in love. She didn't seem very in love at the moment. "I know we're in danger. I know the whole world is in danger. I was shot by a stupid teenage boy once, do you remember? I know this thing is much worse and that the consequences are much higher."

"Then why wouldn't you want your parents somewhere safe?"

"I know this is dangerous, Ardeth," she said, lowering her hands and moving towards him with slow, almost uncertain steps. While everyone around her began pulling out backpacks and protein bars as they shook with fear, Alice looked to Ardeth like the eye of the storm. She placed her hands on his chest, and only then could he see the tears glistening in her eyes, making them sparkle in a way he never wanted to see again. "I know it's dangerous. And I know very well that…that there is a chance that you will never come back."

Ardeth wrapped his arms around her shoulders and held her close as the tears began to make dark trails along her perfect, pale cheeks. She allowed him to hold her for only a moment before she pulled back again, and looked in his eyes with new determination.

"I know you could go after this man and never return. And if you go and die, my love, I don't want to be the girl who lost her fiancée before they could get married. I want to be a widow. And before you die, I want to be a wife," she said. She closed her eyes tight and forced the tears to stop before she continued to speak, her voice softer than he'd ever heard it before. "For better or for worse, Ardeth. For richer or poorer. In sickness and in health, to love and to cherish…until _death_ do us part. Not until separation, not until you have to go on some terrible adventure in the desert and leave me behind. Until death, Ardeth."

Ardeth pulled her against his chest again so that she wouldn't see the tears forming in his own eyes. "There isn't time, Alice. Already we may be too late. I wish that I could-"

"Actually," came Paige's voice. Alice looked at her sister, hardly surprised that the girl had been listening in. "If we're stopping by the Med-Jai camp first, we could have a quick wedding there. Nothing fancy, just vows and some rice thrown in your hair before we march to war. Alex could get ordained on the internet, people do that all the time."

Alice turned to Ardeth with hopeful eyes. And slowly and ever-so-slightly, Ardeth nodded his head. "Very well. But it will have to be very, very fast."

Paige grinned. "It will be. But what is a wedding without food? I'll grab the French macarons and the Jordan almonds. We can eat them at the wedding, and on the way to Ahm-Shere. Too bad the cake is too heavy…"

Alice grabbed Paige's arm before she could fly out the door. "Actually, tell Fiona to get the wedding clothes. We can have the wedding on the boat on the way there…then there will be plenty of time."

Ardeth didn't seem amused by this delay, but he supposed it didn't matter. They still weren't sure where they were going yet. And it wasn't as though doing nothing but worry would make the boat go faster.

Finally, Rick came back into the living room, his face pale.

"What is it?" Ardeth asked.

Rick held up his cell phone. "I called fourteen times before Izzy's wife finally picked up. Apparently, Izzy has been missing for the last two weeks. She doesn't know where he went."

"Could he have…?" began Alice, not wanting to finish the sentence.

Rick sighed, shrugged and stuck the phone in his pocket. "I doubt it. Izzy wasn't stupid, and he loved his own skin more than he loved any amount of money anybody could offer him. Besides, he was rich enough for it not to matter. Probably he ran off with some woman and didn't have the balls to tell his wife."

"Why do you look so afraid, then?"

"Because none of us know how to get to Ahm-Shere. How the hell are we supposed to stop this guy before he raises the army?"

* * *

><p>Downstairs and out on the street, Alex, Paige and Fiona were packing wedding supplies in the car. Everyone else was packing up the rest of the survival gear and basic clothing upstairs.<p>

"I can't believe this is happening," breathed Fiona as she tried to use her Tetris skills to fit everything into one trunk while saving space for the necessary gear.

Alex patted her on the back. "You can go home, if you want. We're not going to make you go fight this thing…you've never had to deal with any of this before."

Fiona smiled back at him as she stepped away from the trunk, finally giving up. "No, Alex. I'm not leaving you guys," she said as she sunk her hands into her pockets, a habit she'd picked up from Alex. "I trust that my being here when this happened - and us finding my name in that crypt - isn't a coincidence. God wants me here. I know it, and whatever happens, I'm going to follow the path He has put me on."

"You could get hurt," said Paige, stepped forward and hugging her best girl friend close. "I don't want anything to happen to you, Fi. I haven't been through a lot of the adventure stuff either, but at least I dealt with Imhotep once. The biggest thing you've fought is the tarantula that found it's way into your room last year."

Fi laughed, hugged Paige tight and then pulled away. "I trust in God that whatever happens to me, will happen for a reason. I can't call all this coincidence, Paige, I just can't. And if I have a part to play, then that's what I'm going to do."

"Aren't you scared?" asked Paige, her own voice shaking. She liked to put on a brave face, but this…whatever was coming, it was the worst thing she would ever see in her life. And it could very well be the end of her life.

Fiona nodded, tears filling her eyes. She raised a hand to quickly wipe them from her cheeks. "Of course I am. I'm terrified. I'm so afraid I feel sick. But I can't…I can't…" she paused a moment as her shoulders shook in a sob. Alex and Paige glanced at each other, both wanting to do something to help but not knowing what to do. "I can't just leave you guys. And I can't leave behind what might be part of God's plan for me. So yes, I am scared. But no, I am not leaving you."

Paige kissed Fi on the cheek, and again hugged her fiercely. "You're a lot more stable than I was when I dealt with stuff like this. You'll be fine, Fi."

"So will you, Paige," promised Fiona, hugging Paige again then looking at Alex. "And so will you. But I need to call Sebastian, guys. If end of the world stuff is going to happen, he needs to be warned."

Paige nodded and released her friend so she could call her brother, and then went and seized Alex in a tight hug as well. Alex wrapped his arms around her waist, and felt his heart break when he heard his girlfriend crying. Paige was always so strong, so tough…hearing her crying now was heartbreaking and scary. If Paige was crying, than the situation was most definitely dire.

Fiona pulled her cell out of her pocket, but before she could press any numbers, she heard a strange sound. A strange, roaring sound. She heard another one, off in the distance, and loud 'thuds'. She spun around to face Alex and Paige, who both looked as confused as she felt.

There was another growling sound, and then – a scream.

Quickly, Paige, Fi and Alex ran out of the covered parking lot of the hotel and out onto the grass that separated it from the main street. They looked up one end of the street and saw nothing but people clinging to their bags or purses or children's hands as they ran about in a panic. They looked the other way, and then backed away in horror.

Tall, horrific grey creatures filled the streets. Their ribs showed, some had holes in their skin so that Paige and the others could see straight through them. They were quite obviously undead, and dressed in ancient Egyptian garb, and in their claw-like hands they carried large sticks with rounded blades at the end. Their heads were those of a jackal.

These things swarmed the streets, swinging their weapons at any living being that they could hit, be they young or old. Many people tried to run for cover, but the creatures were supernaturally quick. If they couldn't hit their victim with the blade, they bent their heads down and bit at their limbs or heads. The atrocious things ran down the road with enormous speed and violence.

It was clear that there was no escape. These creatures seemed determined to kill every living thing in the city. And if they chose to, they could easily wash the whole world with blood.

It was too late for the human race.

The Army of Set had arrived in Cairo.

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><p><strong>Artificial: <strong>What do I want for Christmas? Opinions. How do you give me your opinion? Leave a review! They mean a lot to me, and help me grow as a writer, as well as help shape the future of this story. So it's kind of like a gift for you. Leave a review, give yourself a gift! Merry Christmas, or Happy Holidays, or Good Winter (is that a thing?)!


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